


Overwhelming Urges

by nanuk_dain



Series: Drift Compatible [24]
Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Drift Hangover, Drivesuit Scars, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 13:12:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2813210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nanuk_dain/pseuds/nanuk_dain
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After their first drift together, Raleigh finds that he's unable to keep his hands to himself when he's around Chuck. It's good that this specific side effect of their drift is mutual, but it's not so good that they can't seem to care where they are when the need overcomes them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Overwhelming Urges

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so now it's almost 11.000 (!!) words of sexy times - but there's some plot, too! Mostly it's Chuck and Raleigh getting to know each other better - in every sense of the word XD - and yes, there's unusual locations again *cough* That also seems to become a thing... I hope you don't mind? XD I'm still open to suggestion, if you're interested to read a certain scenario for either Herc/Stacker or Chuck/Raleigh - although LOCCENT and a Jaeger Conn-Pod might be a bit difficult plotwise... XD But hey, give me a challenge!

_Hong Kong Shatterdome, January 9th 2025_

 

It's noon by the time Chuck and Raleigh make it out of the showers of the drivesuit room. Raleigh is tempted to drag Chuck off to his quarters right away and do nice and naughty things for the rest of the day, but his stomach has issues with that plan. They just had a quite long and exhausting simulator session, not to mention the trial in the Kwoon right beforehand and the rather pleasant shower activities right afterwards, and now his stomach demands something substantial to eat. It makes that clear rather loudly.

The good thing is that Chuck's stomach seems to share that opinion and joins the general growling. The decision to go to the mess hall to grab some lunch is easily made. They walk side by side through the long hallways that permeate the entire Shatterdome like a maze, and Raleigh can't help noticing how perfectly in sync their movements are. It's not something they do consciously, it just happens. Raleigh remembers seeing it in the Kaidanovskys, and come to think of it, Pentecost and Herc do it too, and have done it as long as he can remember. He will ask one of them about it - probably Herc, because he's quite sure Pentecost won't answer such a personal question. But then, if he asks Herc, he'll have to explain why, and he's not sure he's ready to face the wrath of Hercules Hansen protecting his son's virtue. It's too late for that anyway.

"Will your dad kill me?" Raleigh asks and makes a gesture that includes both of them. It's pretty obvious what he's talking about. "When he finds out about... you know... _this_."

"Nah." Chuck says evenly, then he falls silent. Raleigh is just about to relax when Chuck continues, his voice casual. "He might torture you a bit, though."

Raleigh snorts. "Now that's reassuring, thank you very much."

"You're welcome." Chuck turns to him with a mischievous grin. "I'm sure he already knows, anyway. It's not like it's difficult to detect the changes in our behaviour towards each other."

Raleigh shrugs, a smirk on his lips, and he makes a point of glancing at the mark on the side of Chuck's neck that he left there not an hour ago. "Yeah, I guess it's fairly obvious."

Chuck snorts. "Considering that we're not trying to kill each other anymore, yes, I'd say it's pretty obvious." 

Raleigh's smirk widens into a full blown grin and he allows his fingers to trail over the mark. "That's not what I was talking about."

He feels Chuck shiver under his touch, and it makes him feel a strange kind of satisfied possessiveness. Just then Chuck gives him a dirty look. "You're one to talk. Did you ever look in the mirror after our shower?"

Actually no, he didn't. 

"Why?" Raleigh asks and can't help his voice sounding wary.

Now Chuck's grin takes on a rather gleeful edge. " Your neck is... how to put it gently? Well, it could come from a fight, if you're opponent was into biting."

Raleigh groans. " _You are_ into biting."

Chuck looks smug. "So I've noticed. I like it a lot, especially when it makes you writhe underneath me."

Raleigh feels heat rise inside him and instinctively stops walking to stare at Chuck. Gosh, he wants to grab him and press him against the next wall and... He feels Chuck's reaction to his thoughts over their ghost drift and catches his gaze. There's the beginning of a blush on his cheeks - Raleigh can't help finding it hot as well as cute, and very convenient, because it always tells him how Chuck feels. His eyes have turned dark again and there's an intensity to them that keeps Raleigh spellbound. 

Raleigh swallows hard. "Weren't we going to get something to eat?"

Chuck licks his lips in a gesture that looks hungry, but not for food. "I think so." 

For a moment Raleigh wonders if the others will be able to tell what he and Chuck just did in the showers. If there's some kind of... _aura_ around them that screams 'we just fucked our brains out' to everybody who even glances at them. He certainly feels like there's a sign over his head right now, and it doesn't help that the urge to touch Chuck is still as strong as it was before. It's as if his hands have a mind of their own, he constantly finds himself reaching out, a hand on Chuck's arm, on the small of his back, his neck... and Chuck is no better. He does pretty much the same thing as Raleigh, a touch here and another there, small things, as if he needs to create a physical connection on top of their ghost drift that hasn't eased off at all.

Before he can even think about it, Raleigh has stepped up to him, only for Chuck to meet him halfway. They're in the middle of the hallway and yet there are no people around right now. Raleigh only registers it in the back of his mind, and he's fairly sure he wouldn't care even if there were people.

"If we do this touching thing in the mess hall, we'll be the headlines of the day." Raleigh announces wryly when he notices that his hand has somehow found its way to the small of Chuck's back, resting comfortably on the thin fabric of his t-shirt while pulling him in close.

Chuck raises an eyebrow in challenge, a smirk on his lips. His left hand rests on Raleigh's hip as if it belongs there, sure and possessive. "You don't like it?"

Raleigh lets his hand slip a little lower, right into the back pocket of Chuck's jeans. The curve of his butt fits perfectly in Raleigh's palm. "I didn't say that."

Chuck chuckles, and he definitely sounds smug. "Good. Now let's get something to eat so we can continue this in your quarters." 

He steps back from Raleigh and smacks him teasingly on the butt before he resumes walking. Raleigh's rooted in place for a second or two while he can't decide whether he's horrified, stunned or just still trapped in his desire to devour Chuck right here in the hallway.

When he doesn't follow, Chuck turns around to throw him a challenging smirk. "You're coming, Rals?"

Raleigh has to make a real effort not to voice his rather dirty reply to that question. 

Of course they encounter Herc in the mess hall, and Raleigh is worried for a moment what he'll do to him if he finds out that Raleigh just literally deflowered his son. Hopefully the drift hangover between Herc and Chuck isn't strong enough for him to pick up on any details. The fact that there's barely any space left between Raleigh and Chuck when they enter the mess hall doesn't do anything to hide the recent events, obviously. A day ago Chuck would have chopped off Raleigh's head if he had come as close to him as that, especially in public. Now it's quite obvious that he doesn't mind at all, and that's a dead giveaway. 

Herc looks at them, his gaze flickering from one to the other, then his eyes narrow. Raleigh resists the urge to hide behind Chuck - Herc may hurt Raleigh, but he won't hurt Chuck - because he's not a coward, even if Herc can be scary if he wants to be. Raleigh stands his ground when Chuck and him get to the table with their lunch trays, he holds Herc's gaze and sits down next to Chuck. Okay, so maybe they're sitting a bit closer than appropriate, and maybe it's completely out of character for them considering how they were still at each other's throats just this morning, but Raleigh finds that he doesn't care. And he doesn't want any more distance between him and Chuck, he needs to feel him close. Screw what Herc thinks of it.

Chuck holds back uncharacteristically, not trying to rub it in Herc's face to get a reaction out of him, not being as purposefully a jerk as he usually is. It takes Raleigh half of the rather awkward meal to get that Chuck's not playing at something, he's honestly trying to get along with his dad. It's the first time Raleigh sees him make that effort, and Herc seems to try just as hard. As if they've come to the mutual agreement not to get into an argument. Obviously that doesn't keep Herc from throwing them first suspicious and then knowing looks, accompanied by his frown turning into a well hidden amused smirk. It makes Raleigh feel rather uneasy.

To make things worse, halfway through lunch Raleigh feels Mako come into the room even before he sees her. Raleigh excuses himself and gets up immediately to get her a tray of food because she can't carry it with her arm in a sling. She throws him a suspicious gaze and Raleigh just knows she's aware of what happened between him and Chuck. She knows something has changed, probably partly due to the faint but still remaining drift hangover between Raleigh and her, and the rest is her freakishly good observation skills. 

"I see you gave him a chance after all." Mako say casually, one eyebrow raised teasingly when Raleigh joins her at the serving counter. 

Raleigh fights the embarrassment that washes over him, because it's one thing to get busy with Chuck in the showers and an entirely different thing to have Mako second-hand witness it. Although he doesn't really want to know how much she caught over the drift hangover, he still has to ask.

"Ahm..." He clears his throat uncomfortably and pretends to be busy with choosing a salad for her. "How much... What did you catch of our... well, _activities_?" 

"No details." She replies evenly, but Raleigh is well aware that she's not looking at him and that there's a faint red shimmer to her cheeks. "Just... feelings. The really strong ones echoed over to me."

"Oh man, I'm sorry, Mako." Raleigh wants the ground to swallow him. He has a pretty good idea which are the 'strong feelings' that Mako received - hopefully she got a dulled version. 

"It is nothing that you had any influence on." She shakes her head, finally looking at him. She smiles, a real, warm smile. "I'm glad you and Chuck overcame your differences." Her smile turns into a mischievous smirk. "Rather effectively, too."

Raleigh groans again, but there's amusement in it. Sometimes he forgets her sharp sense of humour because she shows it so rarely. He doesn't say anything, just takes her tray and carries it over to the table where Chuck and Herc are sitting. Raleigh can feel that Chuck is pleased about something, and one glance at Herc tells him that the two must have talked about something - and obviously agreed on it. Raleigh makes a mental not to ask Chuck about it later when they're alone. 

He sets the tray down for Mako at the empty spot next to Herc and opposite of himself, then he sits down next to Chuck. He's aware they're too close again, but he can't help it. He only feels comfortable once there's the warm press of Chuck's thigh against his. It's pathetic, really. He doesn't care. 

Mako and Herc talk about the repair works of Gipsy and Striker and Chuck adds something here and there, but mostly he's busy teasing Raleigh - one hand strategically placed under the table so it's not visible to the others, he caresses Raleigh's legs that's pressed to his. It starts out with a touch to the knee, quick and almost innocent, then it proceeds to fingers trailing along his thigh and finally the entire hand working it's way up _on the inside_ of his leg. Raleigh doesn't think he has any capability left to speak, so he doesn't even try to enter the conversation. _He_ is mostly busy trying not to let it show, all the things that Chuck is doing to him under the table. It's hard work.

It takes all of Raleigh's effort to hide his relief when Herc says his goodbyes and Mako joins him. Herc takes his own as well as Mako's empty tray, deposing of them on the way to the exit. Raleigh lets out the breath he's been holding when they round the corner, and only then does he turn towards Chuck.

"Do you want to come to my quarters?" Raleigh whispers in his ear and smirks at the shudder he feels going through Chuck's body.

The hand on his thigh squeezes dangerously close to his groin and it's Raleigh's turn to shiver when he's hit by a wave of images straight out of Chuck's wildest fantasies, right before Chuck's low, hoarse voice growls, "Do you really have to ask?"

"Just wanted to make sure." Raleigh chuckles and fights to resist the urge to kiss Chuck right here in the mess hall. It would be a little bit too much publicity for their relationship that's not even a day old.

"Let's get going, then." Chuck lets go of Raleigh's thigh and gets up, taking his tray and waiting for Raleigh to join him. Raleigh is half-hard and he's incredibly grateful for the baggy cut of the combat pants, or the walk back to his quarters would be even more embarrassing than is already is with all the looks they're getting. Of course people notice that there's something different in the way Raleigh and Chuck are treating each other - it's rather hard to miss - and since the news of them being a perfect match has already spread all through the Shatterdome, people have a reasonably good idea what's going on.

In hindsight, Raleigh thinks, he shouldn't be surprised that he and Chuck don't make it to his quarters. This time they at least manage to get as far as the lift, though. They're alone in the cabin, which is also one of the reasons why he suddenly finds himself shoved up against one of the fixed walls of the cabin. Chuck's entire body is pressing against him and his lips are open under Raleigh's, his tongue deep in his mouth, leaving no doubt about what he wants. Raleigh isn't really that surprised, and he gets with the programme immediately. He's been wanting to do that for the entire time they spent in the mess hall, after all. 

Raleigh buries one hand in Chuck's short hair, while the other slips underneath the waistband of his pants, taking a firm hold of his really nice butt. He relishes in the way Chuck groans into his mouth and presses into him even more. It's intoxicating to feel his arousal over their ghost drift, to know how much it turns him on that Raleigh doesn't mind following his lead. Chuck slips his leg between Raleigh's and pushes up until he's rubbing his thigh against Raleigh's hardening erection. It's maddening, the friction is not enough and yet too much to be ignored, and Raleigh can't help himself, his hips buck, searching for more friction, humping Chuck's leg. Chuck's hands grab his butt and support his movements, pressing him even closer, and Raleigh doesn't even bother to hold back the moan he feels rising in his throat. 

Oh god, there are so many things he wants to do to Chuck, _with_ Chuck. Raleigh wants to taste him, right here in the elevator, wants to find out what Chuck's dick will feel like on his tongue. He feels Chuck shudder at the thought, and that makes Raleigh decide to go for it. He lets go of Chuck's lips and makes to sink down to his knees when he suddenly feels an unpleasantly hard pull on his neck. He opens his eyes and gets up again immediately just when Chuck begins to move away. "What the-" 

Raleigh grabs him and pulls him close again. "Stop! Stop! Don't move!" 

"Why?" Chuck growls, but Raleigh just points down to where the chain of his dog tags is hopelessly tangled with Chuck's. 

"If you do, you'll choke us both." he points out.

"Awesome." Chuck frowns at the mess and begins fingering the knot. Instead of easing the tight knot, he makes it worse. Raleigh watches for a moment, enjoying the fact that he's still pressed so close to Chuck that even a sheet of paper wouldn't fit between them. He gives an experimental buck of his hips and feels the delicious friction against Chuck's thigh again. Their stupid dog tags have terribly bad timing, really. 

When Chuck growls in frustration and their range of movement has effectively been reduced by another ten centimetres, Raleigh decides to intervene. "Let me try. You'll only strangle us."

Chuck glares at him, but the effect is ruined by the fact that he's so close to Raleigh that it's almost hard to keep him in focus. Raleigh snorts. "You have to admit that this _is_ kind of funny."

Chuck is quiet for a moment, then he chuckles. "Okay, it kind of is. Just promise me that we don't have to call anybody for help, because that would be incredibly embarrassing."

"Can't promise that just yet." Raleigh mumbles while he's trying to get one of his tags through a tiny loop in the tangled mess. It's just then that the lift stops and one of the doors slides open.

Chuck and Raleigh look up at the same time, and Chuck murmurs, "Oh oh."

Tendo walks in, his head bent over a tablet. He only notices them after the doors have closed again and the lift is moving. It doesn't even take him a second to assess the situation and Raleigh wants to cringe when he raises one eyebrow in that mocking way of his. "Are you in some kind of trouble, boys?"

"No." Chuck says at the same time that Raleigh replies, "Maybe."

Chuck glares at him again, but he can't do much more considering that they both can't move away from each other without strangling themselves.

"Looks to me like you got a little... _tangled_ there." Tendo remains standing where he is, but his entire attention is focussed on Chuck and Raleigh now instead of his tablet. He points at the obvious mess of their dog tag chains with an amused smirk. "Looks like you've been working on making it worse."

"We did that quite effectively, too." Raleigh replies with a chuckle. He can't help finding the entire situation rather funny. It's definitely a first for him, and since it's Tendo who found them and not Pentecost or Herc, Raleigh can laugh about it. Chuck still seems to be embarrassed, though.

"Want me to untangle you again?" Tendo asks, already walking over to them.

"Give it a go. Can't get much worse, now, can it?" Raleigh lets his right hand rub soothingly over Chuck's back and feels him lean into it ever so slightly. He smiles at it, he hadn't been sure if Chuck welcomed the touch.

"You know, there are better places to get busy than the main lift." Tendo remarks casually while his fingers quickly work the knots in the chains. In a matter of seconds he has it undone and then looks up at them with a mischievous grin. "The auxiliary lifts, for example."

Chuck snorts out a rather loud laugh and Raleigh can't keep it down either. "You're a naughty naughty boy, Tendo."

"Nah, I wouldn't say that." Tendo grins. "I'm just giving friendly advice to some guys in need."

They're free to move again and while they do step apart, they still stay close enough to touch. Tendo obviously doesn't mind too much, and it puts them both at easy. Raleigh feels Chuck relax a little bit more after Tendo's last words. He hasn't known him quite as long as Raleigh, who hadn't expected anything else. Tendo is a sly old dog, he just hides it really well.

"Thanks, man." Raleigh twists and turns his chain until it hangs the way it's supposed to. "Glad it was you who walked in on us."

"You should be. Just imagine it had been Pentecost." He glances at Chuck. "Or your dad."

Chuck cringes. "Yeah, that would have been rather awkward." 

The lift comes to a stop and when a door on the opposite side opens, Tendo makes to leave.

"Oh, and another little piece of advice." Tendo turns to them at the exit of the lift, still grinning. "Next time you want to make out in a public place, make sure that your dog tags can't tangle up again. I can't be around to save you guys all the time."

Chuck laughs and nods. "We'll keep that in mind."

Raleigh grins. "You're our hero, Tendo."

Tendo bows, and there's definitely a mocking touch to it. "Then I have fulfilled my life's purpose."

The doors close and the last thing they see is the huge grin on Tendo's face. "Have fun, boys!"

Chuck stares at the closed doors before he turns to look at Raleigh. "Let's try to _really_ make it to your quarters now. I have a feeling that next time we might not be as lucky."

Raleigh snorts and grins at him. "Yeah, next time it might be your dad."

Chuck glares at him. "I told you before, _Rahhh_ leigh, not to mention my dad and sex in the same sentence. It's still a serious mood killer."

Now Raleigh's smile turns dirty. "I'll get you back in the mood soon enough."

Chuck raises an eyebrow in challenge. "I hold you to that."

The lift stops at the level of Raleigh's quarters and he smirks at Chuck. "I'm counting on it."

The way from the lift to his quarters is reasonably short, but it still takes Raleigh a lot of effort not to touch Chuck. He knows they'll end up humping in the hallway should they touch before they're behind the closed doors of his room, and he doesn't want to risk that. Chuck's right, they're going to run out of luck sooner or later. 

When Raleigh opens the door, he feels Chuck standing so close to him that his warmth seeps through the layers of their clothes. He know he only has to lean back ever so slightly and his back will touch Chuck's chest, and it takes all of Raleigh's deeply ingrained discipline _not_ to do that. Instead he pushes the massive steel door open and steps aside to let Chuck enter first. He looks around, takes in the neatly made bed, the general tidiness of the room, the pictures taped to the wall. Raleigh can feel that he's curious, and for a moment he fears that Chuck will ask about the pictures, about Yancy. Talking about mood killers, that would be a pretty effective one for Raleigh. But while Chuck's gaze lingers on the photos, he doesn't ask a thing. 

Instead he turns around to face Raleigh, his gaze wandering up and down his body with obvious appreciation and clear hunger, and he licks his lips in a gesture that makes Raleigh's skin prickle with anticipation. With slow, deliberate movements Chuck takes off his dog tags and settles them on the desk with a smirk. "I've learned my lesson." 

"So did I." Raleigh says and puts his chain down next to Chuck's. "I don't intend to get strangled again."

Chuck settles his hands on Raleigh's hips and leans forwards until his nose touches Raleigh's throat, then he nuzzles the skin underneath his lips. "Yeah, I have other plans for you."

Raleigh lets his head fall back to grant Chuck better access and steps closer to him when the hands on his hips pull him in. "What kind of plans?"

"Naughty plans." Chuck's hands find their way under Raleigh's sweater while his mouth wanders higher along Raleigh's throat. "They involve you, me, the bed, and way less clothes."

Chuck takes hold of the hem of the sweater and pulls it off with remarkable skill, then he quickly removes his own t-shirt and throws it behind him. Before Raleigh can take the time to admire the view, Chuck is back to kissing him, his arms wrapped around Raleigh's waist and his hands wandering all over his back. Raleigh returns the attention in kind, touching all the skin he can reach, from Chuck's neck to the small of his back where the waistband of his pants restrict Raleigh's access. 

God, he wants those jeans gone.

Chuck picks up on his thought over the ghost drift and sends some of his immediate plans for Raleigh. Raleigh feels his blood pool in his rapidly growing erection at the images of himself spread out under Chuck, buck naked, and Chuck's mouth wrapped around his dick. Oh yeah, he's more than willing to go with Chuck's plans. 

He hears Chuck's low chuckle against his neck where he's busy sucking a mark over the one he left this morning. Raleigh allows himself a moment to close his eyes and enjoy the feeling of Chuck's lips and teeth working his skin. It sends pleasant shivers all over his body, goosebumps in their wake, and his nipples react to the ministrations by hardening ridiculously fast. Okay, so he may have a thing for Chuck biting his neck. He feels Chuck grin against the skin of his collarbone and knows he's filing that knowledge away for later usage. 

Raleigh tries to push his hands under the waistband of Chuck's jeans, but the belt is too tight to allow him much room to move. Time to get rid of those pants, he decides. He makes quick work of Chuck's belt, then he unzips the jeans and pushes them down, out of the way. They get stuck before he even gets them off halfway.

"Boots." Chuck grumbles against his neck and Raleigh remembers those highly impractical fastenings of Chuck's boots, all of which they'll have to undo to get him naked. He lets go of Chuck when he bends down and watches him work impatiently on the buckles of the right shoe.

"You know, your boots are not conductive to sex." Raleigh can't help pointing out before he decides to help Chuck. Two pairs of hands are bound to be faster than one, and he really wants Chuck naked.

Chuck seems to find that remark highly amusing and chuckles. "I can't say I've noticed til today."

Raleigh grins at him while he kneels down next to Chuck's left leg, already working on the multiple fastenings. "I promise you will notice it often from now on."

Chuck licks his lips in anticipation, his eyes dark. "I'm looking forward to it, Rals."

Raleigh feels his skin prickle at the way Chuck pronounces his name, his voice even lower than usual, a rough edge to it. It feels strangely intimate how Chuck shortens his name ever since the showers, and that he only does it when they're at least half naked - or getting there. 

Raleigh opens the last buckle and Chuck steps out of the right boot and then the left. Raleigh tugs down his jeans right away, then he glances up from where he's kneeling next to Chuck's left leg. Right in front of his face is Chuck's groin, the bulge of his erection straining the fabric of his black boxer briefs, and Raleigh can't resist, he leans in and mouths it through the cotton. Chuck groans in surprise as much as in arousal, his hands finding Raleigh's hair and carding through the short strands. Raleigh smirks and hooks his fingers in the waistband of the boxer briefs, pulling them down teasingly slow. He looks up and finds Chuck breathing quickly, his mouth is agape, his eyes hooded and burning with desire, his gaze focussed on Raleigh's face. Raleigh licks his lips when Chuck's dick springs free of his underwear, then he takes a firm hold of it and licks a broad swipe along the underside.

Chuck's legs almost buckle, his eyes close involuntarily and his mouth opens in an uncontrolled moan. "God, Rals!"

Chuck's voice has dropped an octave and is deliciously rough with pleasure. Raleigh feels it like a caress on his skin, hot and soft and thrilling. His fingers clench to fists in Raleigh's hair and Raleigh's mind is flooded with his pleasure over the ghost drift. The intensity takes him by surprise and goes straight to his own dick, making it strain against the confines of his combat pants. Raleigh opens his mouth and takes Chuck in, slowly at first, getting used to the feeling again. He realises quickly that there are a few thing you just never forget how to do, though, and goes for it with renewed enthusiasm. Chuck is putty under his hands - or rather mouth - and his hands are resting on Raleigh's shoulders, digging into his skin and leaning on him at the same time. It tells Raleigh all he needs to know about how good he's doing, even if he didn't get the feedback over their ghost drift.

When he feels Chuck getting too close, Raleigh pulls off. He has other plans for tonight, and he's sure Chuck does too, he's just forgotten about them right now. There's a frustrated huff coming from above him where Chuck has opened his eyes to look at Raleigh. He's panting, his chest rising and falling under quick breaths, and there's a blush spreading from his chest all over his neck to his cheeks. Raleigh can't help finding it incredibly hot - _he_ did that to Chuck, _he_ made him look so deliciously debauched, his eyes dark with pleasure and his lips red from where Chuck bit them. 

"God, you're hot." Raleigh says without thinking. It's simply the truth. He knows he'll never forget this moment, what Chuck looks like bent over him, skin flushed and dick leaking precum. Oh yes, that's an image he will carry with him forever. Just beautiful. 

He feels a mixture of embarrassment and pleasure over the ghost drift and realises Chuck got the gist of his thoughts. Raleigh would have been horrified if he'd found it in him to mind that Chuck knows, but he doesn't. He _wants_ him to know. There are no secrets among drift partners, and even less so among a perfect match. Surprisingly, Raleigh finds that it doesn't bother him at all. If somebody had told him that this morning, Raleigh would have declared them insane.

Raleigh teasingly moves his hand on Chuck's erection when he feels that his arousal has receded enough that he won't risk making him come immediately. He holds Chuck's gaze and revels in the way his eyes almost fall shut at the touch. There's something distinctly exciting about having such an effect on another person, and Raleigh gives Chuck's dick a teasing lick just because he knows it'll make him gasp. It does, and Raleigh grins. "Want to take this to the bed?"

It takes Chuck a moment to find his voice to answer, and that makes Raleigh oddly proud. He rendered Chuck Hansen speechless - if that isn't an achievement. 

"First I want you naked." Chuck replies when he finally manages to speak. He's pulling Raleigh to his feet and goes for his belt buckle right away. Raleigh is incredibly glad that his boots are way easier removed than Chuck's and kicks them off as soon as he has the laces undone. Chuck's hands slide under the waistband of Raleigh's unzipped combat pants and briefs alike, down his to butt, taking hold and pulling Raleigh close. He leans in and bites Raleigh's bottom lip gently before claiming his mouth entirely. Raleigh meets him head on, his fingers in Chuck's hair to pull him even closer, to get more contact, more friction. He feels Chuck's erection press against the material of his combat pants and bucks his hips to rub against him. Chuck groans into the kiss, just like Raleigh expected. He has a good idea of what that rough fabric must feel like against the sensitive skin of Chuck's dick.

Chuck squeezes Raleigh's butt, lets go, does it again. It feels like an electrifying massage that has an immediate effect on Raleigh's erection. He wants more, wants to feel Chuck's bare skin against his own. He needs his pants gone, so Raleigh lets go of Chuck's hair and pushes his own trousers down. Chuck gets with the programme very quickly and helps Raleigh shed his combat pants with more enthusiasm than skill, then he grabs his hips and leads him in the direction of the bed.

"Wait." Raeigh pulls away and quickly heads over to the locker next to the door. He finds his hidden stash of supplies immediately and grabs the bottle of lube. He hesitates a moment over the condoms, then realises that it's too late for that anyway, since they didn't use one in the showers. Raleigh knows he himself is clean and he's Chuck's first, so they should be good. He returns to Chuck with a smirk and waves the bottle teasingly. "We will need that."

Chuck takes it and inspects the label, then he grins. "Oh, yes, I see."

He chucks the bottle on the top end of the bed, somewhere next to the perfectly straight pillow - it's a military thing, and Raleigh is sure Chuck's bed looks exactly the same - before he approaches Raleigh with two long strides. His hands take hold of Raleigh's hips and steer him towards the bed again.

"Time to mess up your neatly made bed." Chuck says with a challenging grin and pushes Raleigh down to lie back on the bed. It's a one person bunk and reasonably narrow, but Raleigh knows they will make do, so he stretches out lasciviously and takes pleasure in the sight he's treated to. Finally he has a moment to just _look_ \- and there's a lot to look at with Chuck standing in front of him, buck naked and beautifully hard for him.

Chuck is of a broader build then Raleigh himself, with impressively wide shoulders that narrow down to a slim waist. He's just as toned as Raleigh, a side effect of being a Ranger and living with such a high amount of physical training, and Raleigh can't help his gaze travelling up and down Chuck's entire body, taking a moment to appreciate the proudly erect dick as well as the nice, strong thighs. Raleigh licks his lips unconsciously. He's so looking forward to getting his hands on Chuck.

Just like almost every Jaeger pilot, Chuck has circuitry burns on parts of his body, even if he has way less of them than Raleigh. They form a regular pattern of puckered scar tissue against his otherwise freckled, smooth skin, running along his left arm and over his chest, then they disappear only to show up again in a small patch on his left leg, close to his knee. The burns are far less severe than those that criss-cross Raleigh's skin, a faint whitish pink instead of the dark brown of Raleigh's scars. 

"Enjoying the view?" Chuck asks with a smug smile, his hand slowly travelling down his own chest to his erection. He's standing in front of the bed, looking down at Raleigh who's spread out on the sheets.

"Hell yeah." Raleigh doesn't bother to deny it and allows his gaze to openly follow Chuck's hand. He still finds it oddly sexy that Chuck's pubic hair is only the slightest shade darker than the hair on his head. It's a nice, dark ginger.

"So do I." Chuck replies and only now does Raleigh notice that Chuck has been watching him just as he's been watching Chuck. Raleigh is just as naked and obviously Chuck enjoys the opportunity to look at him; his eyes are dark with arousal, raking over his body and taking in every detail. It makes Raleigh's skin prickle, he feels the gaze almost like a physical caress. 

Chuck bends down slowly and crawls over Raleigh in an almost feral movement until his mouth is but a centimetre away from Raleigh's. "I love your circuitry burns, you know that?"

He doesn't give Raleigh the chance to reply anything, instead he leans down for a quick but deep kiss, then he nips his jaw, trails little bites down the side of his neck. "They're like a personal pattern, a visible record of your fights, of your victories and of your losses."

Chuck's voice is very quiet, a dark, velvety shade of hoarse, his breath a hot caress on Raleigh's skin. "I get it since our drift. I get what they mean to you. I know that you hate them because they remind you of what you lost."

Raleigh takes in a shuddering breath. He can't do anything but lie there, open and exposed to Chuck's touch, mesmerised by his voice, his words, his sincerity. It makes something inside him clench almost painfully, the way Chuck trails his circuitry scars with the most gentle touch of his fingertips, followed by the warmth of his lips and the wetness of his tongue. It feels like worshipping, paying homage, and it takes Raleigh's breath away, makes him gasp for air. He never expected this gentleness from Chuck, this openness and his willingness to say all those things aloud. The words hit too close to home because Chuck has seen all of Raleigh's secrets in their drift, has felt them as if they were his own. Raleigh feels so incredibly vulnerable, yet he can't look away, can't find it in him to fight Chuck's touch. 

Chuck finds every single scar and follows it all the way, touches it, kisses it, maps it. Raleigh just lies underneath him, totally absorbed by the intense ministrations, allowing Chuck to consume him. He follows when Chuck's hands motion for him to move on his stomach and then he feels Chuck straddling him, his fingertips on Raleigh's shoulder and his lips on the back of his neck. Raleigh's eyes are closed and he doesn't hold back the deeply content moan that escapes him at the feeling of Chuck's tongue trailing down the two parallel lines on his left shoulder blade.

"I want you to know that I love them, every single scar." Chuck sucks a mark between those lines, the most prominent circuitry burns on Raleigh's back, his hands resting firmly on Raleigh's sides. "Because to me, they're a testament of your courage." 

Raleigh feels like he has to contradict. He still remembers how much Chuck despised him for leaving after Yancy's death.

"I get it now, Rals. Why you left the PPDC." Chuck continues as if he knows what Raleigh was thinking, and probably he does with the ghost drift singing in the air between them, strong and warm and reassuring. "And I know what it took for you to get back into a Conn-Pod. To let somebody else in your head again."

Chuck lies down, his body covering Raleigh's from head to toe, warm skin against warm skin. It's comfort and reassurance, it's a promise and a question at the same time. His nose nuzzles behind Raleigh's ear and he presses a gentle kiss to the soft skin. "I know what it took to let _me_ in."

Raleigh takes a deep breath, overwhelmed by the entire situation. God, they have known each other for not even a week, and got along only since this morning. This kind on intimacy, of honesty should feel wrong, too fast, too much, too soon - but it doesn't. Instead it makes Raleigh feel safe for the first time since he felt Yancy die. Like he doesn't have to fight alone anymore.

"I want you, Rals, just the way you are." Chuck breathes against his ear and it makes Raleigh shiver. "If you'll have me."

He feels a wink of insecurity over the ghost drift and it touches him deeply, more than any words could have. Because Chuck is not all sure and self-confident about this, no matter that he may appear to be, he's just as much in need of reassurance as Raleigh is. 

"Chuck..." Raleigh reaches behind himself, his hand finding Chuck's neck. He slides his fingers through his hair, pulls him even closer, feels Chuck lean down until his chin rests on Raleigh's shoulder and his chest is firmly plastered to Raleigh's back. He needs the closeness right now, needs to feel Chuck all around him. It's a new craving to him, but it's so strong that he doesn't resist it even for a moment.

Raleigh doesn't have the words to say what he wants, _needs_ Chuck to know, so he tries to convey it through their connection instead. He's still not entirely sure how much the ghost drift transmits, but he hopes that it's enough for Chuck to understand. He feels Chuck suck in a deep breath and knows that it is.

Chuck raises his head and presses a lingering kiss to Raleigh's neck, warm and wet. It makes Raleigh's dick stir and he shift a little under Chuck's weight, only to feel Chuck's erection rub against his butt. Oh yeah, that gives him a few ideas. He spreads his legs just enough for Chuck's dick to slip between his thighs and Chuck grinds down immediately - obviously they've been thinking along the same lines. It doesn't surprise Raleigh in the least.

Raleigh arches up, meets Chuck's thrust halfway and can't help the groan when Chuck's erection rubs behind his balls at the _exact_ right spot. He lets his head sag forward and pushes his hips back up again, wanting more of that stimulating pressure. The sheets provide some friction against his dick and the feeling of Chuck's weight on his back actually turns him on more than he expected. 

The little sound of the cap of the bottle of lube only registers in Raleigh's mind when he feels slippery fingers touch his butt, a little clumsy but very eager. A moment later Chuck gets a better angle and his hand joins his dick between Raleigh's thighs, slowly spreading the lube while passing over his hole with exploring fingers. Raleigh lets his legs fall open a bit more, giving Chuck better access and a little more room to navigate. When his hand cups Raleigh's balls and then presses down right behind them, Raleigh can't help groaning in pleasure. He feels Chuck's satisfaction at getting it right, followed immediately by another touch and press.

Chuck slips off Raleigh to lie beside him, his hand never leaving its spot. Raleigh hears the cap of the bottle again, but doesn't bother to move to see what Chuck is doing. The fingers return with more lube and spread it carefully, then Chuck slowly, very carefully pushes a finger in. His lips touch Raleigh's shoulder in a lingering kiss, and Raleigh feels his nervousness and insecurity as well as his curiosity and anticipation, and makes a point of letting Chuck know how he makes him feel. It's so much easier to communicate such things with the ghost drift between them through which he can pass on impressions without needing words.

The feeling of a finger curling inside of him is strange as well as familiar, and Raleigh forces himself to relax and allow the intrusion. Just then Chuck nudges his prostate and Raleigh groans, loud and uncontrolled, an instinctive reaction to the sudden pleasure flooding his system. His fingers curl to fists in the sheets and Raleigh arches back into the touch. 

"What was your first rule again? Preparation is best served with plenty of pleasure or something like that?" Chuck asks and Raleigh can hear the smug smile in every word. He can't find it in him to care too much, though, he's way to busy concentrating on Chuck's finger. Oh yeah, that's _it_.

"You're... Ahh!" The finger hits his prostate again, and he can't hold back a groan. "...a quick learner." Raleigh gasps, astonished at how rough and breathless his voice sounds. God, Chuck is really getting good at this.

Chuck chuckles against his ear, his breath warm against Raleigh's skin. "I aim to please."

Raleigh wants to reply something witty, like _'I can feel that'_ , but he loses the ability to speak when Chuck makes it a point to nudge his prostate again. The stimulation is just too much for him to retain any higher brain functions. He doesn't need them right now anyway.

Chuck seems to remember what he himself liked when Raleigh had prepared him, and makes good use of that knowledge. He uses plenty of lube and takes his time to explore all of the reactions he can elicit from Raleigh. By the time he is stretching Raleigh with two fingers, Raleigh is writhing on the bed and can't concentrate on anything but Chuck's touch. He had the great idea to make Raleigh raise his hips off the mattress and is paying his rock hard erection enough attention that a Kaiju could walk through the room and Raleigh wouldn't notice. Or care, for that matter. 

When the third finger doesn't register anymore, Raleigh decides that it's enough preparation and it's time to take matters in his own hands. He turns them around with a move that has Chuck surprised enough that it shows on his face. As soon as Raleigh has Chuck lying on his back on the bed, he straddles him and grabs the bottle of lube and squeezes a good amount on his palm. Then Raleigh reaches behind him and coats Chuck's dick before spreading some more on himself. He takes a firm hold of Chuck and guides him to his hole.

"Let's go slow." Raleigh's voice is barely above a whisper, but he knows Chuck understands every word. "It's been a while."

Which is a slight understatement. It has been _years_ , when he was still in the active service in the PPDC, before Knifehead. Raleigh doesn't trust easily, and he needs to trust his partner to allow this, to allow _himself_ to be so vulnerable. And although he's met Chuck only a few days ago and couldn't stand him til their first drift, he trusts him now, wholly and unconditionally. He has no explanation for it - it has to be a perfect match thing - but he knows deep down that he can count on Chuck no matter what. It's enough for him to let his barriers fall, to allow Chuck in, in mind and body.

"Okay." Chuck nods slowly, his mouth agape and his eyes focussed on Raleigh. His hands rest on Raleigh's thighs, his thumbs drawing a mindless pattern on the sweaty skin. "You set the pace."

Raleigh holds his gaze while he sinks down, one centimetre at a time. He feels the difference in size, Chuck is big enough to stretch him even beyond the preparation, but he doesn't ease off, just goes really slow. He watches the wonder in Chuck's eyes grow the deeper he slides into Raleigh, and it's incredibly rewarding to know that _he_ is the reason that Chuck looks so dazed.

When Chuck is entirely sheathed inside him, Raleigh is panting with the effort. He relaxes, takes a moment to get used to the feeling.

"You okay, Rals?" Chuck's voice is an interesting mix of worried and aroused, and his hands are caressing Raleigh's legs and stomach soothingly. He's breathing hard as well, and Raleigh knows it's from the effort to hold still and not thrust up when Raleigh sank down on him. 

"Yeah." Raleigh leans down and claims Chuck's lips in a kiss that turns deep and passionate pretty quickly. "Just give me a moment."

Chuck just nods, obviously not able or willing to speak, and he pulls Raleigh into another kiss. His hands wander up Raleigh's sides, to his arms and back, constantly touching, caressing, exploring. When Raleigh raises up on his legs and then slowly pushes down again, Chuck's breath stutters and he groans loudly, the sound only halfway swallowed in their kiss. Raleigh does it again, faster this time, and the feeling of Chuck sliding in and out of him is intoxicating, just as much as sensing his stunned pleasure over the ghost drift.

Raleigh leans back to get the perfect angle, his eyes closed, his mouth open in a deeply satisfied groan. It's been so long since he did that, since he trusted somebody enough to allow himself this very special kind of pleasure. God, he loves it. 

"Rals... Oh my... yesssss." Chuck's voice is hoarse with ecstasy and his words don't make any sense anymore. His hips jerk in sync with Raleigh's movements, meeting him halfway and intensifying every thrust. His hand finds Raleigh's erection, slick with lube, and wraps around it in a firm grip. Raleigh is almost overwhelmed by the double stimulation and loses himself in the mesmerising rhythm of thrusting into Chuck's hand and pushing down onto his dick. It hits his prostate every time and drives him to heights he had almost forgotten.

Time and space lose any meaning. Raleigh only lives in the moment, in the here and now, in Chuck's touch, his ecstasy, his voice that echoes off the walls, dark and rough with total abandon. He loves how vocal Chuck is, that he doesn't hold back. There's only them, their connection rich with their shared experience, brimming with overflowing pleasure that increases until Raleigh can't take it anymore. 

"Chuck...!" Raleigh arches his back, presses down and into Chuck's hand and then he's coming, his mind overloaded with too much sensation. He knows Chuck is coming too, feels him pulsing inside him, feels the heat of his come at the same time as he's hit with Chuck's orgasm over the ghost drift, just like last time, and it feels like it's his own, so intense, so mind-blowing. It leaves him completely spent and satisfied and he sags down on top of Chuck, panting and dazed. 

Chuck's chest is heaving underneath him with laboured breaths, his hands still gripping Raleigh's thighs. Raleigh stretches to capture his mouth in a messy kiss that doesn't bear any finesse but is still utterly satisfying. Chuck slips out of him when he moves, and Raleigh misses the connection right away. There's something amazing about feeling him pulsing inside him, something intense and special. Raleigh knows he wants it again.

When he has regained his breath, Raleigh grabs the first thing he finds and uses it to wipe away the mess they made. He cleans Chuck's stomach and his own and throws the fabric aside - seems to be a t-shirt - then he sags back down on the bed. Chuck curls around him immediately, arms and legs and all, and buries his nose in the soft hair at the nape of his neck. He presses his lips to Raleigh's skin and Raleigh sighs contently and cuddles back against Chuck. He doesn't mind being the little spoon, he likes the feeling of Chuck surrounding him, touching him all over. It's comfortable, it feels safe and warm and maybe a bit like home. 

Raleigh wakes to the growling of his own stomach. He stretches slowly and thoroughly, although it's a tight fit on the narrow bed, and he takes pleasure in the soreness that reminds him of all the things they did before falling asleep. He smiles contently, then he turns in Chuck's arms to get a look at the clock. It's almost seven in the evening, meaning that there's one hour left to get dinner in the mess hall. 

Raleigh has no intention of missing out on dinner, so he leans down and bites Chuck's neck. "Wake up, Charlie."

"Don't call me that." Chuck grumbles sleepily and tries to turn away from him to continue sleeping. "Five more minutes."

Raleigh smiles, he finds a sleepy Chuck very adorable - so unlike the sharp, focussed man he is when he's awake. There's no anger, no sharp edges, he's just mellow and cute. "No more sleeping, Charlie, or we won't get any dinner."

Chuck opens one eye and tries to glare at him. It doesn't look threatening at all, especially with his messed up hair and the dark bite mark on his collarbone. "Told you not to call me that."

Raleigh bites his way up Chuck's neck to his earlobe. "I like it. It's cute."

"Ah'm not cute." Chuck's protest is mumbled and not very convincing, especially since he's arching his neck to give Raleigh better access, his eyes closed while he's enjoying the touch of Raleigh's lips.

"Yes, you are." Raleigh presses one last kiss behind Chuck's ear, then he gets up and rigorously takes the blanket with him. Before Chuck can even protest, Raleigh gives his exposed backside a teasing slap. "Now get up, young man, or there will be no food for you."

Chuck complains and grumbles rather loudly, making his disapproval at being woken so abruptly known. Raleigh just teases him for being a morning grouch while he gets dressed. He puts the dog tags around his neck again and throws Chuck the other pair, then Raleigh picks up their clothes that are strewn all over the place. Chuck is still working on fastening his jeans and doesn't look like he's entirely awake yet.

"Well, you t-shirt is kind of icky." Raleigh points out and hands it to him.

Chuck eyes the stains on the front. There's no way to misunderstand them. It's pretty clear what caused those white stripes all over the front. Raleigh watches Chuck assess the mess and doesn't even try to hide his highly amused grin. He knows Chuck can't wear that t-shirt anymore. "Want a sweater?"

Chuck glares at him. "Walking around wearing one of your weird trademark sweaters is like carrying a sign saying 'Property of Raleigh Becket'."

Raleigh's smile deepens and takes on a hungry edge. "I like that idea."

Chuck blushes, but doesn't stop glaring. He throws one last glance at his ruined t-shirt before he lets it fall to the floor and grabs the navy blue sweater off the desk, the one Raleigh wore the entire day. He pulls it over his head and tugs here and there until he's comfortable. It's a tighter fit on him than it is on Raleigh, hugging his strong torso in just the right places.

Raleigh feels something twist inside him, something hungry and possessive, when he sees Chuck in his sweater - his _used_ sweater. Chuck knows he could have got a fresh one, but he chose this one instead, wearing it on his bare skin like Raleigh did throughout the day. Raleigh licks his suddenly dry lips, his gaze tracing Chuck's body under the fabric. He feels his hands twitch with the urge to touch Chuck, to feel him. 

Chuck stares at him for a second, then a smug smile spreads over his face and he passes his hand over the fabric, making it touch his arms, his stomach and his chest in the most sensual way. Raleigh feels it going straight to his dick, and he knows Chuck feels it over their ghost drift. Chuck knows exactly what he's doing to Raleigh right now, and he's doing it on purpose. It doesn't make it any less sexy, though.

"I might get used to that sweater." Chuck remarks seemingly casual, but there's a grin tugging on his lips and he wriggles his eyebrows in obvious teasing. Raleigh wants to smack him. Or kiss him. Actually, that sounds even more tempting. 

Chuck turns to leave and only waits for Raleigh once he gets to the door, throwing him the most innocent look. "Didn't you want to get to the mess hall for dinner?"

Raleigh has to grit his teeth to keep from groaning. He knows it's the revenge for the way he woke Chuck - and that he deserves it - but that doesn't make it any easier to control his overactive libido. 

"You're a tease, you know that?" Raleigh presses out and tries very hard to think of unpleasant things, because he has no intention of showing up in the mess hall with a boner.

"Of course I do." Chuck has the nerve to grin, then he opens the door and steps into the hallway. Raleigh follows him and pulls the heavy metal door close behind him. He catches up to Chuck and walks next to him in the direction of the lift that will bring them to the level of the mess hall. When Raleigh notices them walking so close that their shoulders are touching, he sighs. They're doing it again, the touching thing. 

"We should probably talk before we set foot in the mess hall - meaning a public space." Raleigh offers, though not very enthusiastically. He never did like talking about feelings. But this thing between him and Chuck is so big, so important, has so far reaching consequences that he knows they really need to talk. No matter how strong their drift is, they can't afford any misunderstandings, especially not this early on, when they're still not sure what all this is. What it could become.

"Yep, we probably should." Chuck agrees, but he doesn't say anything else.

Raleigh looks at him when they stop in front of the lift, waiting for it to arrive. "We're both not very good at talking, are we?"

"Nope, we aren't." Chuck snorts. "My dad can attest to me being really shit at talking about feelings. Runs in the family."

Raleigh can't help smirking. "I feared that."

The lift arrives and the large door opens, revealing the empty cabin. Chuck follows Raleigh inside and comes to stand next to him, again close enough to touch. It's like they're both unable to keep an appropriate distance between them, and Raleigh is glad that it's not just him.

"So let's make this quick." Chuck says when the door is closed and the lift descends, turning to look at Raleigh. "I say how I see things and you tell me if you see it the same."

Raleigh just nods and waits for Chuck to continue. He's not quite sure what to expect.

"We have a... connection, that's undeniable. Might come form being a perfect match. I want you to be my co-pilot, and I want to drift with you again. I know our bond is strong already and I want to see what it can become." Chuck licks his lips, a little gesture that betrays that he's nervous. Raleigh feels it over the ghost drift as well. "I don't know why, but I trust you - to a degree that I have never experienced before. I _want_ you - body and soul." 

When Chuck stops, Raleigh finds himself unable to answer. After a moment of silence Chuck bites his lips. "So, do you agree or did I get it totally wrong?"

Raleigh is still slightly stunned. Chuck really is a lot stronger - and a lot more mature - than Raleigh gave him credit for. Raleigh knows he himself would not have had the guts to say all those things straight out, even if their sex was amazing. Still, Chuck has nailed it, and Raleigh owes him the truth. "I agree. You didn't get it wrong."

"Good. Then we're on the same page." Chuck makes it sound final, as if the matter is hereby resolved.

Raleigh chuckles and nudges Chuck's shoulder with his own. "I like your direct approach. Makes things easier."

Chuck smirks at him. "Next time it's your turn."

"Okay. Oh, and while we're at it, I have a question." 

Chuck raises an eyebrow, and Raleigh isn't entirely sure if it's in surprise or challenge. "Shoot."

"What did you and your dad talk about at lunch? It must have been something good, I could feel over the ghost drift that you were pleased."

"Oh, that." Chuck smiles, a real smile. "We talked about perfect matches a few days ago, and back then he'd told me that nothing compares to drifting with your perfect match. I just admitted to him at lunch that he was right."

Raleigh picks up from the things Chuck _doesn't_ say that Herc must have a perfect match as well, or he wouldn't know what it feels like. He immediately thinks of Pentecost, but as far as he knows they never jockeyed together, so it must have been his brother, Scott. "He probably hadn't expected you to ever do that - admit that he's right about something."

"Probably not. It was actually quite fun to shock him in a positive way." Chuck laughs, then he shrugs casually. "We're trying to get along better."

Raleigh smiles encouragingly. "It's a good plan."

Chuck inclines his head. "It's a work in progress."

The lift doors open to the hallway that leads to the mess hall, and Chuck and Raleigh make their way over to the big room that's filled with the sounds of people having dinner. They get a tray each and go looking for a table, just to be called over to where Herc is sitting with Max by his feet. 

"Join me, boys." Herc offers. He's already done with his food but is still nursing a coffee.

Raleigh sits down opposite of Herc while Chuck kneels down to pat Max as soon as he sets down his tray. "Hey handsome. Hope you had a good day."

Raleigh finds it adorable how Chuck transforms when he's with Max, like he's a completely different person. Open and friendly and affectionate, not the jerk he is to almost all human beings. Raleigh wonders if he's really going to be an exception to the rule now or if Chuck is going to turn into an asshole again at some point. If he does, Raleigh will kick his ass. He won't allow their relationship to turn back into what it was before this morning's drift.

"I forgot my coffee. Do you want one too?" Chuck asks both of them once he's done cuddling Max.

"I still got some, thanks." Herc replies and waves at the mug in front of him.

"I'd like one." Raleigh says. "Two-"

"Two sugar, and just a little milk." Chuck grins at him and Raleigh feels his smugness over their ghost drift. "I know."

"I won't ask how you know." Raleigh retorts teasingly. Of course he knows that it's one of the things Chuck learned when they drifted, one of those unimportant fact about your drift partner that rush by you when you're connected. The remarkable thing is that Chuck remembers it.

"I'm God." Chuck wriggles his eyebrows before he turns around and walks in the direction of the coffee machines. Raleigh stares after him with an amused smirk on his lips and absent-mindedly pats Max who's leaning against his leg.

"You are aware you're wearing Chuck's dog tags, aren't you?" Herc says into the silence, his voice casual.

Raleigh's head jerks around, ripped out of his musings. "What?"

Herc reaches out over the table and takes hold of the upper dog tag that's supposed to be Raleigh's but clearly shows Chuck's name. "This is Chuck's chain. My guess is that _yours_ is around _his_ neck right now."

"That is a rather good guess." Shit, he grabbed the wrong tags. For once in his life Raleigh really feels himself blush. Why does that have to happen when they meet Herc? He's not sure what to expect, if Herc will tear him a new one, give him 'The Speech' or simply ignore the whole thing. But whatever he'll do, Raleigh will not deny the... _relationship_ he has with Chuck. Whatever it might be.

"Don't worry, mate, I won't tell you that I'll personally make your life hell if you hurt him." Herc says with a chuckle. Then he gives Raleigh a glance that holds pure steel. "I'm sure you already know that."

Raleigh gulps and nods. "Yes, sir, I know that."

"Well, and _I_ know that you _won't_ hurt him. Not on purpose." Herc's gaze is serious, and there's no doubt that he means what he said. 

Raleigh narrows his eyes. "How can you be so sure?"

Herc's knowing smile has more layers than Raleigh can even begin to grasp. "It's a perfect match thing. I know."

Raleigh's gaze searches the mess hall for Chuck as if it has a mind of it's own, and he can't help staring when he sees Chuck standing by the coffee machines, his thumbs hooked in the front of his belt in a gesture Raleigh knows is not his - it's typical for Raleigh himself. Chuck is in deep conversation with a J-Tech from his crew and is completely unaware that he's actually doing it. Combined with Raleigh's sweater that Chuck is still wearing, the effect is so cute that Raleigh smiles involuntarily. He's still looking at Chuck when he finally answers. "You're right, sir. I won't ever hurt him on purpose."

When Raleigh turns to look at him, Herc is watching him intently. He keeps scrutinizing him for a long moment, then he nods. "Works for me."

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the long time it took me to post this part, but it's a quite long fic, even for me - so make me a happy wee author and let me know what you think? Please? A great deal of work, time and love went into this fic... Comments are love, and it's Christmas time, don't you want to give a little love? You'd make my Christmas ^__^
> 
> The tangled-dog-tags-and-almost-choking-each-other was inspired by a comment from Raine_Wynd - thank you for the idea, my dear! It most certainly proved to be fun XD


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